Childhood Clothes Worn by a Young Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret are Heading to Sale
Who said owning royal attire is limited to opulent ball gowns and heavy jewels? Come next month, fans of Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret will have the opportunity to add their childhood clothes to their collection, as six pieces are heading to sale by Kerry Taylor Auctions in London.
The collection includes a white cotton dress and bonnet, a red and white scalloped outfit, a yellow frock with intricate smocking, and a pink and green floral dress. These pieces were originally acquired by Clara Knight, the princess's nanny, who took the dresses after the two no longer used them.
Knight had a long history of looking after royals. In 1900, she was tasked with caring for Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (who eventually became Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother). In 1926, Bowes-Lyon hired Knight to look after Elizabeth, and they remained close until Knight's death in 1946.
After Knight's death, the clothes were sent to her family in east Sussex who then donated to Bexhill Museum. After the museum's renovation, the clothes were sent back to the Knight family who then passed them onto the antiques collector Daniel Haddon.
"The dresses make Elizabeth seem more human because you can see her as a child, running around getting dirty and playing," Haddon said in a release. "When you look at the dresses and see the repairs you can see that they were stitching them up and using the clothes as much as possible. It makes the Queen relatable."
The pieces are a part of the Passion for Fashion and the Mr. Steven Philip Collection (Part 2) sale happening on June 11. To view more lots, or register for the auction, please visit kerrytaylorauctions.com.
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